Storybook Log Cabin

Warm hues fill a cozy cottage nestled in the Appalachian foothills

Slide 1 Of Storybook Log Cabin

Emily Followill

With a hearty wham, the back screen door bangs shut at Gail and Roddy White's log cabin. The Whites' contractor offered to adjust the door, but Gail wouldn't have it. "I like it to slam; I like the casualness of it," Gail says.

That come-on-in way of living permeates Highlands, North Carolina, a scenic town in the Appalachian foothills just two hours north of the Whites’ hometown of Atlanta. “We just love going to Highlands and being out of the hustle and bustle of Atlanta,” says Gail. "It’s like going to summer camp."

The cabin was built in 1928 by Joe Webb, an Appalachian craftsman who built nearly three dozen log homes in the area in the 1920s and ’30s, using no power tools or architectural drawings. (See The Work of Joe Webb by Reuben Cox, published by the University of Georgia Press.) The pine and chestnut logs and the fireplace are all original.

"We weren't in the house 10 minutes before we knew that this is what we wanted," recalls Gail, who was smitten with the storybook quality of the cabin.

While the exterior was nearly perfect, the rooms were somewhat small and dark. Gail sought guidance from Atlanta designer Carole Weaks, who also owns a home in Highlands. Weaks started with color, drawing from the warm hues in the logs and hardwood floors. "Gail wanted to freshen up the house, bring in color without making it feel too urban," says Weaks. "She wanted to give the spaces warmth."

Overlooking the living room is a stair balustrade of rhododendron branches, a hallmark of log homes by 1920s-era builder Joe Webb.

Room-sized hooked rugs in shades of melon, red, sage, and pewter introduce the fresh and sophisticated color palette. Weaks kept upholstered pieces quiet, covering them in fabrics with a hint of sheen in solid colors of ivory and melon. An antique country cupboard, painted chest, and trestle coffee table complement the log architecture.

The dining room posed the biggest challenge, but it has turned out to be a favorite spot. About 10x14 feet with an 8-foot ceiling, it was too crowded for a center table, Weaks ruled. She removed the chandelier, pushed an oval dining table to the side, and brought in a bench, upholstered chairs, and a hooked rug in shades of melon. The melon colors "make the room sing," says Weaks.

Sand-hued grass-cloth walls warm the master bedroom and offer a soothing change of texture from the log walls. A modern painting by Dennis Campay mixes easily with antiques. A single door was replaced with two narrow doors that take up less wall space when opened.

Antique spool-turned beds and a new red-checked rug make for a cozy loft bedroom. Weaks chose graphic patterns that could stand up to the log walls, such as a bold red-and-white leaf pattern on bed pillows and draperies and a stripe on upholstered valances.